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Oilheat - The Clear Choice

Oilheat is consistent, comfortable, satisfying heat — compared to other types of heat that can leave you shivering, no matter where you set the thermostat. You can actually feel the difference Oilheat makes ... and you will love it!

Comfort is only one of the many benefits Oilheat users enjoy. The following reasons are why so many people are building new Oilheated homes, and why so many homeowners are converting their gas, electric, wood and propane heating systems to Oilheat.

Oilheat is Efficient

Oilheat has always been the efficiency leader. Heating efficiency is the amount of usable heat extracted from the potential energy of the fuel. If a heating system is 85% efficient, 85 cents of every dollar you spend goes to heat your home and hot water.

Efficiencies of new oil equipment range from 83% to 95%. Efficiencies for gas ranges from 78% to 95%. Electric resistance heat and electric water heaters are between 27% and 31%, air-to-air heat pumps between 51% and 62%, and geothermal (ground source) heat pumps between 76% and 82% efficient.

Oilheat is Clean Heat

When properly adjusted and maintained, Oilheat systems create no observable soot, dirt, or odors in the home. They release almost no smoke or combustion residue up the chimney.Emissions from residential gas, propane, and oil burners are all at about the same low level.While electric heat at the point of use in the home has no emissions, the power plant creating the electricity may give off 10 times more particulate matter (smoke and soot), depending on the fuel used to power the generator.

Heating Oil Supply is Reliable and Secure

Oil companies shop for crude oil, the raw material used to make heating oil, all over the world. There are over 36 oil-producing countries. We are not dependent upon any one country or region for our supply. We enjoy an over-abundance of crude oil, and world oil reserves will last for a long time.

The future looks bright as well. Technological advances are slashing the cost of finding, producing, and refining oil. The average cost per barrel for finding and producing oil has dropped about 60% in real terms over the past ten years, while proven reserves are about 60% higher than they were in 1985.

Oilheat Has Little Impact on the Environment

The environmental impact from using home heating oil is minimal — much lower than the alternatives, especially electric heat and wood. The air pollution emissions from oil burners are insignificant, and oil storage tanks do not present a threat to the environment because heating oil is not toxic, contains no carcinogens and is biodegradable.

Oilheat Manufacturers Association has calculated the costs to society of using the various fuels. They include such things as the impact of air pollution, crop failures, and the impact on fishing grounds. When all factors are considered, low-sulfur Oilheat comes out as the least damaging heating source available.

It is 1% better than natural gas or propane. Oilheat is 136% better for the environment than geothermal heat pumps, and 208% better than air-to-air heat pumps. It is 516% better than electric resistance heat and electric water heaters, and Oilheat is an amazing 2,437% better for the environment than wood heat! By converting from electricity to oilheat, you can reduce emissions by 12 tons, per home, per year! By converting an electric water heater to oil, you will save 2 tons per year!

Oilheat is Safe

Heating oil is nonexplosive. In fact, it will not burn in a liquid state. In order to light oil on fire, you must heat it above 140 °F., the temperature at which it begins to vaporize. In contrast, when natural gas or propane leaks, even at room temperatures, an explosive mixture of air and fuel forms rapidly, which can be dangerous.

Oil is also safer when it comes to carbon monoxide emissions. When an oil burner malfunctions, it usually creates a great deal of smoke before it creates carbon monoxide. The smoke serves as a warning signal.

On the other hand, natural gas and propane create carbon monoxide first, smoke second. There is no warning.

Regardless of the type of fuel you use, a carbon monoxide detector should be installed in every home, and every heating system should be inspected regularly by a qualified heating technician.

Heating Oil Tanks Provide Security

With Oilheat, customers have a supply of fuel oil safely stored in a tank on their property. They have control of their heat. There is no need to worry about the weather, pressure drops in the gas pipeline, broken gas mains, or malfunctioning gas pressure reducing valves.

Because heating oil is safe, the oil tank can be located anyplace that's convenient — garage, basement, underground, or next to the home.

In the U.S., all underground residential heating oil storage tanks, regardless of size, are exempt from federal and most state regulations because the government found that these tanks do not present a threat to human health or the environment.

Oilheated Homes are Cozy

Comfort is the benefit Oilheat users enjoy the most. They find Oilheated homes to be cozier than gas or electric heated homes. Oilheat produces higher air temperature in the home than heat pumps. This keeps people warmer. It is hard to determine all of the factors that make Oilheated homes more comfortable. They just seem to have a nice cozy feeling.

New Oilheat employs very sophisticated technology to achieve its incredible reliability, efficiency, and safety. The Oilheat equipment being developed in our research facilities will ensure Oilheat's advantages over other fuels well into the future. Oilheat is Safe, Efficient, Economical, Clean, Environmentally Friendly, Convenient, Dependable, Comfortable, Reliable, and Secure. It improves your family's quality of life. Oilheat is the fuel of the future!

Oil powered heating equipment should be installed and serviced by qualified professional technicians as specified in NFPA 31.

This consumer information has been prepared by the Oilheat Manufacturers Association (OMA). Technical reference to information herein is located in the OMA publications: Oilheat Advantages Project issued May 1995 and The Benefits of Oilheat booklet issued in the summer of 1999.